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Sir Topham Hatt III
Sir Stephen Topham Hatt ( ) is the former "Fat Controller" of the North Western Railway. He held the position from 1984 to 2013. Early Life Stephen was born on May 16, 1941 at Topham Hatt on the outskirts of Wellsworth. His parents were Charles Hatt (1914-1997) and Amanda Croarie (1916-), whom would be known as Dowager Hatt after Charles's death. Stephen and his sister Bridget were frequent visitors to the railway, which was run by their grandfather and father. The engines enjoyed their company, sometimes letting them ride in the cabs. When Stephen was 10 (1951), his grandfather Topham took him and Bridget on a trip to Arlesdale, where they met Toby the Tram Engine. They both rode in Henrietta for the duration of their trip. Stephen was very pleased when his grandfather brought Toby to the Ffarquhar Branch Line. In 1954, Stephen's father became the Fat Controller, and throughout his teenage years, Stephen helped with many small jobs on the railway. Railway Business When he was around 22, Stephen became a steam engine driver, mostly driving Thomas or Percy. By 1967, he was driving Gordon with the express. He soon became an assistant manager, and then was given the role of "Fat Controller" in 1984 when his father retired. Head of NWR One of Stephen's first actions was to hold a celebration of the TV series based on his railway. That same time, he brought a diesel nicknamed "Old Stuck Up" on trial, who crashed through a shed and was sent away due to his attitude. Stephen's tenure saw massive improvement to the railway. Crovan's Gate was given a massive restoration and the Peel Godred Branch was bought by the NWR in 1987. Also, many old places were restored and opened again, such as Great Waterton in 2008. However, not all of Stephen's tenure was productive. In 1998, a dislodged boulder destroyed a newly opened quarry near Peel Godred. Stephen decided not to reopen the quarry and the railway suffered a major loss. However, Stephen was very quick to come up with solutions and the loss had been accounted for in no time. Retirement Originally, Stephen was going to retire in 2014, which would mark 30 years. However, he decided to retire a year early, just shy of 29 years holding the position. His official retirement was on January 1, 2013 and his son Richard inherited the role. Engines Acquired During Tenure * D40125 (Old Stuck Up) (temporarily) (1983) * Geoff (The Works Diesel) (1983) * Diesel (temporarily) (1991) (later purchased in 2002) * Derek (1998) * Arry and Bert (1998) * Diesel 10 (2000) (given as a gift by Phil Boggiston) * Salty (2002) * Harvey (2002) * Emily (2003) * Fergus (2003) * Arthur (2003) * Murdoch (2003) * Molly (2005) * Neville (2005) * Dennis (2005) * Rosie (2006) * Whiff (2007) * Billy (2007) * Stanley (2008) * Hank (2008) * Flora (2008) * Victor (2009) * Charlie (2009) * Bash, Dash, & Ferdinand (2010) * Scruff (2010) * Belle (2011) * Den (2011) * Dart (2011) * Norman (2011) * Paxton (2011) * Sidney (2011) * Pip and Emma (visited twice; purchased in 2011) * Stafford (2012) * Winston (2012) Appearances The Engines of Sodor Season 3 * Revolutionary Redemption (flashback) Season 5 * Boulder Strikes Again (appears in flashback) Specials * Haunted Henry * Night Express to Vicarstown * Revenge of the Ghost Train The Engines of Sodor Finale * Tarnished Legacy * Phantom Saboteur * Wrath on the Rails Thomas1Edward2Henry3's Railway Series More Branch Line Engines * Coach Trouble * Right on Traction * Double Teething Troubles * Derek and Gordon The Slopes of Culdee Fell * The Tea Train Thomas1Edward2Henry3's Remakes * Toby's Discovery * Oliver's Find * Something in the Air * Bye George! * A Better View for Gordon * James and the Trouble With Trees * Thomas and the Rumors * Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach * Stepney Gets Lost * Gordon and Spencer Voice Actor * Thomas1Edward2Henry3: Haunted Henry-Present Category:Characters Category:Awdry Characters Category:Humans Category:Controllers